Streaming boxes are a great device to use if you have an older TV or a smart TV with a slow and stuttery UI. But the market has so many options it can be difficult to choose which one is the best for you.

The Mediabox Maverick (MBX4K Maverick) is one of these options – a 4K Android TV streaming device that supports Netflix and many other streaming services, including local services such as Showmax and DStv Stream.

I’ve spent a few weeks with the device and here’s what I found.

Design

The Mediabox Maverick features a simple, lightweight design – with a black box for the main device, along with a matching black remote. The accompanying cables are also black, with this simple design helping it blend in with most TV setups.

Despite its compact design, the device comes with an HDMI port, AV port, two USB ports as well as an ethernet port. You can plug the Maverick directly into your modem with an ethernet cable if you don’t want to rely on Wi-Fi, but I found that my Wi-Fi connection was fast enough for streaming 4K content without lag or much loading time.

It also has a built-in Chromecast, which means you can cast your screen and apps from your smartphone. You can also use Google Home to access a virtual remote for the device, along with volume controls.

A seamless setup

One of the things that surprised me about the Maverick was how easy it was to set up. I plugged the device into its power outlet and my TV, connected it to my phone, and was able to log in with my Google Account. This also copied over my login details for certain apps like Netflix. The whole setup was seamless and took a matter of minutes.

The setup process also guides you through pairing your remote with the Maverick, which takes only a few steps. Once the remote is paired, you will be able to use its Bluetooth connection to give commands to Google Assistant or use voice-to-text for your searches on the device.

While setting up the device, you can select which apps you want to install, though some preinstalled apps can’t be unselected. However, if you go into your settings later, you can uninstall any preinstalled apps that you don’t need if you’re worried about storage space or bloatware.

Streaming performance

So how does the Mediabox Maverick perform with day-to-day usage? While it occasionally takes a short while to load a streaming app like Netflix, overall the experience is responsive and snappy. It’s a vast improvement over the slow UI of my older smart TV.

Installing apps is also incredibly easy and you can even do it using your phone on the Google Play Store. When the search box on the Maverick couldn’t pick up the local version of Disney+ and showed the international version instead, I was able to use my phone to install the local version to the streaming box.

I was able to install all of my streaming mainstays that weren’t already installed on the device, including Plex.

Once an app is loaded, there is no stuttering or lag when browsing through apps and content libraries. 4K content loads quickly, but the experience may vary depending on your internet speed.

Another benefit of Android TV is that you can install games from the Google Play Store. I tried out Fast Like a Fox, and while a remote isn’t my preferred input for gaming, it’s a fun perk to have on the device.

The support for 4K HDR content also means that you can get the best out of your streaming services, so long as they support that content.

One of the things I enjoyed about the streaming box is that when you turn it on with your remote, it switches the TV on too. While this is common with streaming boxes, it’s an essential quality-of-life feature that the Maverick includes without you needing to alter any settings.

The main drawback of the device is that it does not support Dolby Atmos, but it does support the 2D audio of Dolby Audio.

Overall, the Mediabox Maverick is a capable streaming device that unlocks all the benefits of Android TV. If you want to check it out, you can see it on the Mediabox site.